Does it always feel cold in your house? This can be very annoying because it can make your home uncomfortable and cause you to spend a lot more money on energy than you need to (which is always an issue, but especially so right now). Read on to find out why your house might always feel cold and what you can do about it.
You Have Drafts
You need to seal the 'envelope' of your house if cold air is sneaking in via the cracks. The envelope is the outer shell that safeguards the inside from the elements. To complete the envelope seal, go outside, wipe down the areas around the windows and doors, and then apply a bead of caulk.
The next step is to place weatherstripping in all outside doorways to prevent air leaks. A good rule of thumb is that you should add weatherstripping or replace old weatherstripping that has failed if you notice sunlight coming in around the side of the door or window.
Check Your Chimney
When the fire isn't going, chilly air can seep in through a chimney and open fireplace. When the fireplace is not in use, a panel or glass doors can be used to seal off the area. Even when turned off, vents in a gas or electric fireplace can cause a chill. In order to allow for ventilation when the fire is in use, these can be covered with special magnetic strips, which you can remove to use the fire safely.
Special draught excluders can be purchased and fitted into the chimney to keep cold air out. However, if you want to use your fireplace, you'll need to move these first because they restrict smoke and harmful gases from leaving your home, which can cause carbon monoxide poisoning and even a house fire.
Change Your Heating System
If your heating system isn't very good, it can be hard to get the house warm. If you turn on your central heating, but the radiators feel cold or don't get as hot as they should, this can be a big problem. If this is happening to all of your radiators, it's probably a problem with your boiler, and you should have it checked out. When only one or two radiators are affected, bleeding and balancing them may help. Alternatively, you might invest in new radiators that would make heating your home lot simpler and more cost-effective.
It might even be that you need an entirely new heating system – this will have to be the case eventually in most homes. This is the ideal time to decide which type of fuel you want to use, and it might be worth contacting a propane supplier to get more information about this kind of heating source.
Your Floors Are Letting You Down
When floors aren't insulated properly, they can account for as much as ten percent of a home's total heat loss, especially since heat is lost more quickly via hardwood or bare floorboards than through carpet. As well as causing heat loss, the chilly surface of a tile floor can be uncomfortable for bare feet.
The more expensive options are to insulate the floors, install an under-floor heating system, or carpet the entire house. Putting down rugs to keep the heat in and also make your feet feel warmer is one inexpensive alternative, as is fixing holes between the flooring and skirting boards.
